The Boston Celtics were missing three of their best 3-pointers Sunday night against Washington, so Sam Hauser was inserted into the starting lineup and had enough to fill the three-point shooting holes. He hit a triple.
Despite being without Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White, the C's defeated the Wizards 130-104 thanks in large part to Hauser's historic night.
Despite missing nearly half the game with an ankle injury, the third-year wing scored a career-high 30 points and made 10 3-pointers, one shy of Marcus Smart's franchise record. I let it happen. He landed awkwardly on his left ankle after attempting a 3-point shot at 7:53 of the third quarter, then returned to the locker room to continue the remainder of the game.
Joe Mazzula didn't have an update on Hauser's X-ray results, but he had high praise for what the night's star was able to do on the court.
“I liked his confidence,” the head coach said. “I loved his aggressiveness, I loved the way the players looked for him, I loved the way he made shots in the flow of our run. That's his weapon. ”
After going 1-of-2 on downs in the first quarter, Hauser went 6-of-7 in the second frame with six straight makes. He became the fourth player in franchise history to make seven 3-pointers in a first half. Ironically, two of those players, Brown and White, were on the sideline, and the other was Kemba Walker.
Hauser also became the first player in NBA history to make at least 10 3-pointers in less than 23 minutes of play. Almost every two minutes he fell a tree.
Peyton Pritchard also had a career night with 13 assists and was impressed, if not surprised, by his teammates' performance.
“I always tell people, in my opinion, Sam is the top shooter in the league,” Pritchard said. “So for us, it's like whenever he's open, we have to find him because he's almost automatic.”
Hauser only had three fumbles all night, all from the right side of the basket. He went a perfect 6-for-6 from the left side of the hoop. He's currently in the spotlight for four consecutive tournaments, averaging 18.5 points and 5.5 3-pointers per game during that span.
Hauser wasn't the only one to flee the Deep. Jayson Tatum went 6-of-12 from long range, tying Hauser's team-high in points. Together, they became the first duo in NBA history to score at least 30 points in less than 27 minutes of play.
As a team, the C made 24 of 50 long-range shots. In the last game against Phoenix, they made 25-of-50 knockdowns, making them the first team in league history to make at least 24 3-pointers in consecutive games.
If Hauser hadn't been injured, he would have had a great chance not only to break the team's record for threes in a game, but also to break Golden State's Klay Thompson's NBA record of 14.
“Actually, I think he would have broken the record tonight,” Pritchard said. “But he'll figure it out another night.”
